Share this article

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Clegg rejected criticism of Lib Dem broken promises and suggested the Tories should say sorry to voters.

'I've never heard an apology from David Cameron for promising he's going to get net migration down when he's failed to do so,' he said.

Mr Clegg famously issued a public apology for breaking the Lib Dem pledge to abolish tuition fees, which was later remixed into a music video which entered the top 40.

Net migration from EU countries has risen sharply in recent years, hitting 131,000 in the 12 months to March 2014, according to data from the Office for National Statistics

STOP DUCKING AND WEAVING ON TV DEBATS, CLEGG TELLS CAMERON

Nick Clegg has challenged David Cameron to 'come clean' on whether he will take part in televised leadership debates in the run-up to next year's general election.

The Liberal Democrat leader accused Conservatives of 'foot-dragging' over the debates and said it was time for the Prime Minister to end uncertainty over his plans.

Mr Clegg is committed to a re-run of the TV clashes tried for the first time in 2010.

He suggested Mr Cameron was 'running scared' of taking on his rivals in front of the cameras. 'This foot-dragging by the Conservatives is getting rather boring now.

'Let's just get on with it,' said Mr Clegg.

'We had the TV debates last time, people enjoyed them, they livened up the whole thing, they're actually quite good fun.

'The Tories should come clean - if they want to run scared they should come clean and say they don't want to do them, but not this endless ducking and weaving.'

The Lib Dem leader added: 'I've said sorry to those people who are disappointed about some of the decisions we couldn't make. I'm not Prime Minister, I can't deliver the Liberal Democrat manifesto in full.

'I've never heard an apology from Ed Miliband for crashing the economy,' he said.

However his claims that Mr Cameron should apologise for failing to tackle immigration is likely to spark a furious response from the Conservatives who blame the Lib Dems for blocking efforts to control the numbers of people who come to Britain.

A Tory source hit back at Mr Clegg, telling MailOnline: 'I don't think the man who can't keep a promise for more than two minutes is in a position to lecture others.'

Mr Cameron last week used his Tory party conference speech to make clear he would put immigration 'at the very heart' of his renegotiation strategy for Europe, which he has promised before staging an in-out referendum by 2017.

'So we're going to go in as a country, get our powers back, fight for our national interest and yes – we'll put it to a referendum in or out – it will be your choice,' he said.

However, the Lib Dems have never signed up to the 'tens of thiousands' target as a coalition policy, and oppose the idea of limiting free movement across Europe.

Today Lib Dem president Tim Farron told conference delegates how Britain’s future 'relies not on turning away the best and the brightest from our shores...relies not on attacking migrants'.

He added: 'Migrants who make a net contribution to our economy. Migrants who are less likely to claim benefits than our own citizens.

'Instead we should be grateful and proud that migrants have chosen to relocate their lives here and are working to build our economy.

'These people make Britain great, we should celebrate them not demonise them.'

While the number of people leaving the UK has remained at around 80,000, the numbers arriving from the EU have risen sharply

Business Secretary Vince Cable yesterday said the Tories were trying to 'close the borders to skills and talents that Britain needs, by pursuing an absurd net migration target – plucked out of the air and totally unenforceable'.

Mr Cable argued for more open immigration, accepting people coming to Britain to study or work.

'Overseas students, whose fees subsidise British students and earn £9bn a year for the UK, are discouraged and so go to the US or Australia instead.

'Firms who need specialist skills from Japan, India or the US have to climb piles of red tape (far bigger than anything generated by Eurocrats in Brussels).

'We then train Chinese engineers and insist they go home just when British industry can make good use of them.

'But, of course, there is always a warm welcome isn't there for dodgy billionaires willing to make a large party donation for a game of tennis with Boris and Dave.'

Mr Cable said the Lib Dems have a responsibility 'to tell the uncomfortable truth that the vast majority of migrants coming to the UK from inside or outside the EU have brought tangible benefits to the economy, importing valuable skills and strengthening our civic culture'.

He added: 'Of course immigration does have to be controlled at the point of entry and exit. And we must deal with abuse and crack down on 'benefit tourism'.

'But not at the expense of the EU Single Market, and its free movement of workers.'